Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart - ESSENTIAL

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart, 344 pages. Henry Holt (MacMillan), 2019. $17.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

12yo Coyote Sunrise has been living and traveling all over the country with Rodeo (her dad) in a converted school bus for the last 5 years. One day, on her regular phone call to her grandma, Coyote discovers that the town is tearing up the park she loved as a child. Coyote, her sisters and her mom buried a memory box by a tree in that park; tragically, her mom and sisters were killed in an automobile accident a short time later. Memories are a no-go with Rodeo, so, Coyote has to convince him to drive the 3,000+ miles from Florida to Washington State without letting him find out they are actually going back home to find the box, and she won't be able to do it alone because she only has 4 days to get them there. 

Coyote is a great character, I loved joining her on this impossible road trip. Mature for her years, she tells a grand story, makes wonderful friends and learns important life lessons. An engaging read, funny as well as heartbreaking. It stays with me, I keep thinking about her even after I've finished the book. Well done, Dan Gemeinhart!

Lisa Librarian

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